Free The Lovely Garden by Emma Mohr Page B

calm and pleading, “I think you should take up my offer of that job.” And with that, he was gone, leaving me to stare at him and wonder just what the hell had happened in Jerry’s office. Obviously, nothing good.
    Mine and Carla’s eyes met. “What was that?” she mouthed at me. All I could do was shrug. The only way I was going to find out was to go straight to the source. I stood and headed toward Jerry’s office.
    The door was still open, but I still knocked, not wanting to surprise him. He sat at his desk, and didn’t bother to lift his eyes from the spot he was staring at. “What was that?” I asked as I walked in. No point in beating around the bush.
    At the sound of my voice, Jerry looked up from his desk. The sneer he gave me almost made me take a step back. “I want you out of here. I don’t need liars or people here wasting my time.” He stood, moving closer to me. I just stood there staring at him, not exactly understanding what was happening. “I already called security. Go to your desk and collect your things. And please, don’t make a scene.” I watched him as he left me in his office, alone and confused.
    For the first time in my life, I had gotten fired and I didn’t understand why.

 
     
     
     
     
     
    CHAPTER SIX
     
     
    Hours later I found myself in front of Smithy’s Pub waiting for Jenny to show up, still in shock from what had happened earlier that day. I had gotten fired, and I still didn’t fully understand why. Carla had called me a few hours earlier and told me what had been going through Jerry’s mind. He hadn’t believed that Charles and I had been dating, and this was some elaborate scheme of mine to get money out of him. I knew Jerry didn’t like me, but to think that little of me was more than disheartening. It was devastating.
    The only satisfaction I had gotten out of the entire mess was Darren, after escorting me out of the building, went back and called Jerry a terrible human being. Jerry didn’t employ the security team, the building owner did, so he had no fear of being fired. Even if Jerry complained to the building owner, I doubt they would do anything about it.
    As I waited for Jenny to show people passed me on the sidewalk, ignoring me. Someone close by was smoking a cigarette and the smell wafted toward me and I wanted to gag. It had crossed my mind that walking just a few feet down the sidewalk would solve my problem, but I stayed firmly in my spot. I was here first, that asshole could move. Then Jenny showed up, calling my name and waving to me as if it had been years since we last saw each other and not a week.
    Jenny wrapped me in a painfully tight hug. One I returned with the same ferociousness. I had been looking forward to this dinner more than expected, as had Jenny. Her gray-green eyes shone brilliantly in the light, her dark green eyeshadow made them appear all the greener. Her full lips, shiny from gloss, were turned up in a huge grin showing me her straight white teeth. There was a light dusting of blush, making her high cheekbones seem even higher. I had always been envious of her natural beauty and her makeup skills. Then again, it would stand to reason someone that took cosmetology courses during their spare time in college would be decent at makeup. She had not been that great in high school.
    “Ready to get a table?” she asked, heading into the restaurant. There would be no conversation until after we sat at the table. One of Jenny’s unwritten rules of hanging out.
    “Yes! I’m starved. Almost wasted away waiting here for you.” It was my right as a best friend to give her shit for being late. I give her a lot of shit. And I mean, a lot . I don’t think I can call up to memory a time when she had been on time. With the exception of her wedding, and that was because her mother had been with her. I’m dead serious. If her mother hadn’t been there, she would have been late to her own wedding.
    She rolled her eyes high in her head.